HOME AGAIN
They were very near their own time, Arcot felt. Indeed, they must already on Earth. "One thing that puzzles me," he commented, "is what would if we were to go now, and see ourselves."
"Either we can't or we don't want to do it," pointed out Morey, "because we didn't."
"I think the answer is that nothing can two times at the same time-rate," said Arcot. "As long as we were in a different time-rate we at two times. When we to simultaneously, we not, and we were to through time to a time we either did not or we had not yet been. Since we were nearer the time when we last in normal time, than we were to the time of our birth, we to the time we left. I that we will we have just left Earth. Shall we investigate?"
"Absolutely, Arcot, and here's we didn't the mark by much." As Morey intimated, had they gone much the time they left Earth, they might very serious, indeed. But now they at once toward Earth on the time control. As they neared, they looked for of the invasion. Arcot the only signs, however; two large spheres, points in on the screen, were Earth, one at about 1,000 miles, moving from east to west, the other about 1,200 miles moving from north to south.
"It the enemy have to space to do their fighting. I wonder how long we were away."
As they at a speed than light, they were till Arcot near the atmosphere. Instantly a dozen fast ships toward them, but the ship was very the Thessian ships, and no attack was made. First the would have an opportunity to prove their friendliness.
"Terrestrians Arcot, Morey and Wade from in space, with two friends. All have been on Earth with us previously," said Arcot into the radio apparatus.
"Very well, Dr. Arcot. You are going to New York or Vermont?" asked the Patrol commander.
"Vermont."
"Yes, Sir. I'll see that you aren't stopped again."
And, thanks to the message thus sent ahead, they were not, and in less than an hour they once more in Vermont, on the from which they had started.
The group of scientists who had been here on their last call had gone, which natural to them, who had been for three months in the of their trip, but to Dr. Arcot senior, as he saw them, it was a misfortune.
"Now I will all you'll have ready, and I didn't you till next week. The men have all gone to their laboratories, since that of work on the part of each, but we can call them here in an hour. I'm sure they'll want to come. What did you learn, Son, or haven't you done any calculating on your data as yet?"
"We learned plenty, and I sure that a hint of what we have would all those learning-hounds around us quickly, Dad," laughed Arcot junior, "and it or not, we've been calculating on this for three months since we left yesterday!"
"What!"
"Yes, it's true! We were on our time field, and on the space control—and a Thessian ship that moment to into us. We cut the ship in as as you please, but it us eighty thousand years into the past. We have been through time on while Earth up with itself, so to speak. In the meantime—three months in a day!
"But don't call those men. Let them come to the appointment, while we do some work, and we have of work to do, I you. We have a list of to order from the supply houses, and I think you them for us, Dad." Arcot's manner now. "We haven't our Government Expense Research Cards yet, and you have. Order the stuff, and it out here, while we for it. Honestly, I that a ships such as this will permit, will be in themselves to do the job. It is a that the other men didn't have the opportunity we had for much work into little time!
"But then, I wouldn't want to take that road to again myself!
"Have the enemy you in my absence? Come on, let's in the house of here in the sun."
They started toward the house, as Arcot senior what had in the time they had been away.
"There is a friend of yours here, you haven't in some time, Son. He came with some allies."
As they entered the house, they the under some weight that moved across the floor, and light of motion in itself. A across the floor, and in the a powerfully-built stood.
He to overflow the doorway, nearly six and a tall, and as wide as the door. His rugged, was pleasantly, and his deep-set to flash; a from them.
"Torlos! By the Nine Planets! Torlos of Nansal! Say, I didn't you here, and I will not put my hand in that of yours," Arcot happily, as Torlos a friendly, but too powerful hand.
Torlos of Nansal, that Arcot had on his across space, in another Island of Space, another Island Universe, was not as are beings of Earth, of Venus, Talso, or Ortol, but most nearly resembled, save in size, the Thessians. Their framework, of being stone, as is ours, was iron, their were pure iron, than bone. On these were great of an different sort, a that used of the as its fuel, a that was tireless, and powerful. Not a chemical engine, but a motion engine, it had no chemical fatigue-products that would it, and needed only the supply the from the air to work indefinitely. Unlimited by waste-carrying considerations, the was enormous.
It was one of the space Nansal, Sator, Earth and Venus that had the news of this to him, Torlos explained, and he, as the new Trade Coordinator and Fourth of the Four who now Nansal, had that they go to the of the man who had so them in their great with Sator. It was Arcot's gift of the of the and the ship that had them to overcome their enemy of centuries, and upon them an peace.
Now, with a of fifty interstellar, or better, battleships, Nansal was to Earth's aid.
The were now on with all of Earth's and Venus' fleet. But the Nansalian ships were all with the space of travel, of course, and were a in the patrol. The Terrestrian and Venerian were not so in full.
"And Arcot, from what I have learned from your father, it that I can be of assistance," Torlos.
"But now, I think, I should know what the enemy has done. I see they some forts."
"Yes," Arcot senior, "they did. They that the used on the of North and South was too effective. They moved to space, and cut off slices of Luna, it over on their rays, and used some of the most you of. I have just started on the of it.
"We sent out a to do some investigating, but they attacked, and stopped work in the meantime. Whatever the is that can at a distance, they are that we its too easily, and it, for they don't think it is a weapon, and it is slow in action."
"Then it isn't what I it was," Arcot.
"What did you think it was?" asked his father.
"Er—tell you later. Go on with the account."
"Well, to continue. We have not been idle. Following your suggestion, we up a large screen apparatus, in fact, of them, and them in ships to different parts of the world. Also some of the planets, they start worlds on us. They are already in operation, sending their against the Heaviside layer. Radio is poor, over any distance, and we can't call Venus from the now. However, we the protection, and it works—far more than we calculated, to the of the layer.
"If they to attack in that way, I that it will be soon, for they are now, as we discovered. An attack on their was met with a screen from the fort.
"They with a wild now. They won't let a ship near them. They on sight. They of that of yours. Too we had no more."
"We will have—if you will let me to work."
They to the ship, and entered it. Arcot senior did not follow, but the others waited, while the ship left Earth once more, and in space. Immediately they into the time-field.
They steadily, sleeping when necessary, and the of Torlos was as great an as his work. He was learning rapidly, and was able to do a great of the work without direction. He was not a scientist, and the thing was new to him, but his position as one of the best of the of Nansal had proven his brains, and he did his share.
The others, scientists all, the operations difficult, for work had been to each according to his capabilities.
It was still nearly a week of their time the was to the possible, less than a minute of normal time passing.
Finally the unassembled, but apparatus, was to the laboratory of the cottage, and word was sent to all the men of Earth that Arcot was going to give a of the he would save them. The scientists from all over Earth and Venus were interested, and those of Earth came, for there was no time for the men of Venus to arrive to the results.
